and police tell us that there was a confrontation in front of the high school. the incident is still under investigation. now to a story you will only see here, car thieves are making quite a living here. in san jose alone, there's 50 to 60 cars reported st eed stolen day. we went on a ride along today with a task force assigned to get the cars back. he works the laptop as he drives. he runs the plates of as many cars as he can. >> finding the cars and crooks involved in criming other than the initial auto theft is something that our task force is good at. >> they are known as radis, and they have been unusually busy the last couple of years. >> it's in every neighborhood and the interesting thing with those cars, the typical stolen

car in the county would be the mid year, mid '90s honda acord. he said those cars and acuras and toyotas have a faulty switch that can be started with a shaved key or screwdriver. 45 minutes into the ride and -- what do you know? it's stolen. >> it's been abandon and neighbors say it's been here for a while. >> it's been at least over three weeks. >> in the first 11 months of last year, crooks stole 5,354 cars in san jose. and as hard as they work the streets, the seven member team was only able to recover 578 of them. >> would you mind coming over and printing this thing? >> he calls in the crime scene experts to dust the car for fingerprints hoping to match them with a known criminal. >> we see a lot of criminals stealing cars to further their own criminal enterprise. he said that thieves will dump a

car like this one and then break into another car to commit more crime. this one was about a mile away, stripped of just about everything. >> not a matter of if we find the stolen cars, where we are finding that stolen car and how many we are finding. >> in san jose, nbc bay area news. >> new details on the rogue former cop in southern california, the ex-officer, he is now believed to be dead and it appears that he was hiding right down the road from the police command center. but this disturbing saga is far from over, today, a funeral for one of the officers he is accused of killing and many questions left. stephanie stanton has the latest from los angeles. >> reporter: good evening to you, raj, officials are working on the positive i.d., but all indications are that the charred

remains found in the cabin belong to dorner. his nine-day reign of terror came to an end in this quite mountain community but not before appear final fatal gun battle and a cabin that erupted in flames. investigators searched through the burned out cabin where it's believed the accused cop killer christopher dorner spend his final moments alive. >> we believe that the person barricaded himself in the cabin and engaged in gunfire with deputies and other law enforcement officers are still in there even after the building burned. >> the end unfolded tuesday after noon after maids stumbled on him in a different cabin and across the street from where the police set up a command center in their search for him. >> he is right across the street staring down at them. >> after being discovered police

tied up the women and stole their vehicle. game warden spotted the stolen car, and he carjacked someone's pickup truck. >> he pointed a gun at me, a assault type rifle. i stopped my truck, put my hands up. dorner did not get far. he barricaded himself inside another cabin. and a gun fight started. 1 deputy died and another was injured. hours later, swat officers fired tear gas to the cabin to get dorner to surrender, but instead, a single gun shot was heard before the building went up in flames. today, a funeral service was held for one of the officers killed last week in nearby riverside. while back on the mountain, investigators worked to confirm the identity of the remains they believe to be christopher

dorner. and there are reports that a wallet containing dorner's driver's license was found inside the cabin, a positive i.d. is expected to take days. the body was burned beyond recognition, so they will have to use dental records and forensics to positively identify the remains. >> thank you for the update. santa clara county wants to get the word out, they are about to offer cash for unwanted guns. today they outlined the gun buy back program set for march 2nd at the county fairgrounds. recent buy-back programs in other counties brought in some 2,000 weapons. they will pay $100 for each handgun, rifle, or shot gun and $200 for an assault weapon. sheriff's deputies are looking for a couple that

attempted to lure a 11-year-old boy into their car. the police were called to ruker avenue, the boy was taking the family's trash bins to the curb when a couple in a mini cooper type of car pulled up to him and motioned for him to get in the vehicle. he refused and they drove off. the wok was in her 20s and the man in his 30s. attorneys for barry bonds today asked the court to throw out the 2010 conviction for obstruction of justice. the three-judge panel allowed cameras in the courtroom even though bonds was not present. his conviction was based on an answer that he gave to a grand jury investigation about the steroid scandal. the government alleged that bonds was trying to evade questions about steroid use. but today the attorney said is

he answered the question directly later and could not be obstructing the investigation. >> he was not charged with the crime of which he is convicted and the crime of which he is n convicted is not crime. >> bonds is seeking to overturn the conviction. the judges did not indicate when they will make their decision. >> still ahead at 5:00, the supplement that could reduce the risk of autism. >> and a piano's glory days are behind it, and it's drawing people for a glorious standoff. the eye in the sky, the county trying to make it easier to watch you. and good afternoon, i'm jeff ra near e, another sunny day for us here on this wednesday. dry conditions on the radar and an increasing pollen forecast. we will have details on who

could hit 70 tomorrow.

we have developing news in the airline industry tonight, the associated press said that u.s. air ways and american airlines have been cleared to merge. this would create the world's largest airline. reports say the merger will be officially announced tomorrow. no reports yet if any jobs will be lost. it's the eye in the sky, but is it legal? using drones as the law enforcement tool goes before the almeida county board of supervisors tomorrow. again, the sheriff wants to use the unmanned and unarmed aircraft to gather information in difficult places. there's been resistance from some, including the aclu, over concerns that it will violate privacy. after the state of the union address, the president is taking

his message of economic recovery on the road. asheville, north carolina was the first stop in a three-day trip to rally support for his job creation and economic plan. he toured a company that is expanding their manufacturer inning of engine and transmission components. the republicans say he is pushing old failed ideas. tomorrow, he vifts atlanta and his hometown of chicago on friday. pope ben dictate, xvi presided over his last mass. he was dressed in traditional purple robes for lent, he came in to the church on a wheeled platform. the pope announced he is retiring in two weeks. and ash wednesday began, so, mardi gras clean up also began to bourbon street. plenty of crash after the wild celebration. bull dozers and power washers

were brought in. each year, mardi gras generates 8,000 tons of trash in the french quarter. weird, weed? yeah, that is what i said. officials made a first of its kind bust in the u.s. a routine inspection found seeds from a devastating weed. it can effect the agricultural industry. cape weed competes with crops for water, and light. the seeds were found on dried flowers from australia. the dried flowers were destroyed. authorities believe the seeds does not accidentally got into the flowers. >> so far, $14 million in cash and pledges have been raised but organizers believe they need $42 million or more by the time the race finishes in september.

there's a hearing being called on the america's cup fundraising. they do not want the city taxpayers footing the bill for police, clean up and transportation. the race was pitched as a competition between as many as 12 international teams. but right now, just three teams are confirmed and it's scaring away sponsors. mayor lee has said he will get more involved to help raise money. tnchlths well, there are moments of beauty that while fleeting stay with us forever. the community of half moon bay is nearing the end of one of those moments. >> two weeks ago a artist pulled an old piano out of the bluffs to play. the impromptu hoe ends tomorrow. kris? >> hi, there, raj, the artist that dragged this old and out of tune piano out to the bluff wanted to show the impermanence

of things but what he will show is that memories can last forever. she was one of the many people that could not keep her hands off the piano at half moon bay. >> it was great, i never had an experience like this. i could keep playing, i wish it would stay for a long time. >> but it will not stay here. the artist, dragged it out here on february 1st to this beautiful spot where he had always been moved to play. >> i start with a piece and i wanted to people to notice the elements changing. >> but the city will only allow it to stay until tomorrow. valentine's day, then it has to go. he said that the pea an on oh, will get one more sunset at the harbor and one on a boat before he takes it home for a cremation

or sorts on sunday. >> i will take it back to my studio on sunday and i will play it one more time and then we will burn it. wish me luck. >> as much as the folks have enjoyed the sunset music, he said it was never bhent to on go on forever. but yet for if people who experienced it, somehow the music will live o. >> the ocean, and the fact that he had the guts to bring it here, it's so artistic and it's so bay area, and it's a story we will remember forever. >> it's kind of humbling in a way. making people happy and excited. it's amazing. >> and he tells me that in the early days a woman came up to him crying after hearing the performance saying that it was the family that had been -- the piano had been in her family for years but they could no longer afford to keep it or repair it. so it was a fitting send off.

could we just continue to listen to hear the piano. that was amazing. >> and weather was gorgeous. >> only in the bay area. >> i know. jeff ranieri, it was gorgeous. >> just looks perfect, maybe bronze on top of it and leave it with a permanent structure. with working keys, you never know. here in the weather department, forget winter, it felt like spring. one of the warmest, walnut creek 70, santa rosa 68 and san jose 67, looks as if we are going to keep this mild stretch of weather here to friday. walnut creek expecting to go up a bit. not a whole lot. but great weather as we go to the end of the work week. that said, ten degrees above the average as we go to friday. temperatures are cooling off. let's go to the sky camera network and on this mid week forecast, the sky cameras, no other better way to tell you

what is happening than this view right now. we have the haze back across the foothills of the valley, but clear directly above, now let's move up to the north, you can see in oakland, we have the moderate air quality, it looks in l.a. for some part tofs bay area. when it comes to the air quality, it's a familiar scene in the pollen and the moderate levels that get trapped in the valleys and back in the coast line, you see the pollution, that sa slight marine layer that is keeping you cooler in the beaches. let's go back to the weather mix. what we have happening is the storm track is way off to the north. high pressure on top of california right now, basically, it's taking all of the pollutants and stomping them to the surface creating compressional heating. expect mild incredible weather for the interior valley throughout thursday and friday. cooler for the beaches. 50s and 60s. and fog at the coast line, throughout the afternoon, sunny with anywhere from 60s to 70s,

here is what you want to key in on. by friday, that is the last mild day and temperatures will start to trend downward. air quality is suffering. if you do suffer from respitory problems, you could have problems tomorrow. all the sunny skies, the flour- flowers are getting an early jump on it t it will be cold, but not as bad as the past couple of morning. with the haze and the poor air quality, it will insulate us. and tomorrow's forecast it looks great down here in the south bay. 70 in morgan hill, 70 in gilroy and 69 in south san jose, and 68 in palo alto and for the east bay, you are trying to catch up here, but the spots and pleasant on and liver more are not quite 70 degrees, but it look likes the way the winds blow here in

walnut creek. we should top out at 70, and for san francisco tomorrow, 67, and santa rosa 70, and 66, sunny through value en's day and saturday, a dry storm system, no rainfall, we will return the chance of rain in the forecast for tuesday and wednesday. not a big storm, but two consecutive days of rainfall, we have not had it in quite some time. a little bit of love there from mother nature. >> yes, thank you, jeff. >> coming up, cruise ship chaos, new information about a cruise ship horror story that left passengers stranded on the ocean.

you heard about this story in this vacation that went horribly wrong. tug boats continue to pull the crippled carnival cruise liner stuck in the gulf of mexico, it

has been stuck since it had an engine fire on sunday. more than 4,000 people are on board, food was delivered from another ship yesterday. it has been a nightmare for the passengers. no air conditioning and less than 2 dozen working toilets. people on board, not happy with this, some people have been sleeping on the decks. the ship should dock tomorrow afternoon in mobile, alabama. in health matters, doctors advise pregnant women to take 400 micrograms of folic acid every day and now there's another benefit. they followed children whose mothers took the supplement before they got pregnant and during the first trimester, lowered the risk of autism by 40%. experts show the link as a land mark finding. there's no down side to taking

the supplements and it's found natural in dark green leafy vegetables. a watch dog group filed a complaint with the fda, he they want to determine a safe limit of sugar in soda and on the part drinks. these ingredients are considered safe, but too much of them can lead to disease americans are consuming 37% fewer calories from sugar in drinks than they were in the year 2000. we will be back in a moment.

many in rf love with your

valentine's day forecast. >> very fitting. we have plenty of sunshine in v-day and we have sunshine on friday, with clouds by this weekend. >> go to the piano on half moon bay. that is romantic. see you at 6:00.

on our broadcast tonight, in plain sight. inside the wild and deadly ending of the manhunt in southern california. in appears police finally got their man. but was he really hiding right across the street for days. the pope's farewell public mass. an emotional day at the vatican. what we have learned about what happens next and the subtle campaign to replace him. from bad to worse, andhat nightmare at sea. conditions on board the carnival

cruise ship are deteriorating at a rapid pace. tonight the view from one of the first vessels to reach the crippled ocean liner. and the star is born. did you get the make and breed of the dog that won best in show? a breed few have heard of is suddenly getting all of the attention. "nightly news" begins now. from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with brian williams. good evening. there is testing to be done on what was found in a charred cabin. but we can say with near certainty tonight, it's over in southern california. they believe they got their man. not before he killed four people and apparently himself. not before this one man, highly motivated, highly trained, terrorized a huge metropolitan area. what we learn today is, he might have been very close to the very headquarters of the search for days. because during his